


Blank Points

by ExtremeLight9



Category: Crash Bandicoot (Video Games)
Genre: AU, Amnesia, Depressing Thoughts, Dreams and Nightmares, Feels, Fluff and Angst, Gen, Insecurities, Self-Esteem Issues, Trust Issues, everybody needs a hug
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-01
Updated: 2017-11-04
Packaged: 2018-12-22 16:36:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 11,051
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11971350
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ExtremeLight9/pseuds/ExtremeLight9
Summary: Defeating Cortex was not the end of it. Crash is found with no memory of himself or his past. Can Coco and Aku-Aku help him remember who he was?





	1. Unfamiliar

**Author's Note:**

> Hey everyone, I’m back with a new story. This was something that I originally planned for chapter twelve in my fic Something About You, but then changed my mind about it. I finally decided to write it in a separate story because I had a lot of ideas surrounding this concept. 
> 
> Disclaimer: I don’t own Crash Bandicoot.
> 
> Enjoy!

He had woken up on a beach with his entire body aching in pain. He had slowly pulled himself up and looked around, not knowing where he was or how he got there. He had a pounding headache and his mind was foggy. Trying to ignore the pain as much as he can, he had slowly limped across the beach until he saw a house at the edge of the jungle and hoped whoever lived there will help him.

 

But before he could get there, a girl came running and threw her arms around him, sobbing loudly and murmuring about how much she missed him.

 

Another thing caught that his attention and surprised him was the floating mask with her who was looking relieved to see him.

 

Confused, he finally asked the innocent question that made their relieved smiles instantly fall.

 

“Who are you?”

 

**\------**

 

Coco blinked in surprise and glanced at Aku-Aku before scowling at her brother. “Crash, don’t joke like that!” She huffed which confused him even more.

 

He scratched his head, perplexed. “Crash….is that my name?”

 

“Stop it, this isn’t funny! Do you have any idea how worried I was about you!?” Coco muttered in frustration.

 

She couldn’t be believe it. She had spent several days believing her brother was gone for good. Now he’s finally here and he was joking around just to get a rise out of her!? Of all the teasing and pranks he played on her in the past, this was not one she would tolerate!

 

Aku-Aku was looking between them worriedly and then quickly flew over in front of him. Unlike Coco who was silently fuming, the mask looked uneasy. “Crash, please tell me the truth. Do you not recognize us?”

 

Crash frowned at him and slowly shook his head.

 

“Coco, I…I don’t think he’s joking.” Aku-Aku said, voice shaky.

 

Coco’s anger immediately vanished and she felt her stomach drop. She stared at her brother in disbelieve. “No, no. Crash, tell me t-this isn’t true. You…you have to know who I am, right?” She asked as she grabbed both his arms, voice wavering and desperate. “C’mon, I-it’s _me_! Coco, your little sister! IT’S ME!” She yelled frantically, tears falling from her eyes. This can’t be happening. There was no way her big brother had forgotten her!

 

“Coco, stop. You’re scaring him!” Aku-Aku exclaimed as he stood between them.

 

Coco blinked away her tears and looked at Crash. In her relief to see him, she hadn’t noticed the hurt state her brother was in. The carefree and oblivious look he had moments ago was also gone. Now he was looking lost and his shoulders were shaking as if the reality of the situation finally began to settle in.

 

“I…I don’t know…” He was murmuring almost to himself with his ears drooping, hands clutching his hair and looking at the verge of panicking.

 

“Hey, now. Calm down.  It’s going to be okay.” Aku-Aku said as gently as he could. The bandicoot was already confused and afraid and he didn’t want to scare him any further. “We’re going to help you out. C-Come with us to our house and we’ll treat your wounds, right Coco?”

 

The girl swallowed back the lump in her throat and nodded quietly. Her brother hesitated for a moment before he let her lead him to the old house and asked him to sit down on a chair in the kitchen.

 

“Is there a first-aid kit somewhere?” She asked Aku-Aku.

 

“I think there is one under the bed. I’ve seen Crash use it before.” He answered.

 

Coco really wanted to know the story behind that incident, but decided to ask later. Right now fixing up her brother’s injuries should be her main priority.

 

She quickly went inside the bedroom and took the first-aid kid from under the bed before heading back to the kitchen. “Crash, I’m going to treat your wounds now. Is that okay?” She asked carefully.

 

Crash nodded quietly, gaze down and shoulders tense, shrinking under her gaze. He was acting as if he was a child who is afraid of getting scolded.

 

Coco felt her heart sink, knowing it’s all her fault. She had overwhelmed him. If she hadn’t freak out earlier then her brother wouldn’t be so scared right now.

 

Careful not to startle him even further, she slowly bent down in front of him and began fixing him up. Aku-Aku mentioned something about going outside for a bit, leaving the two of them alone.

 

An awkward silence fell in the room. Neither of them said anything the entire time she worked and it was almost unbearable. She could feel his nervous gaze on her, but she refrained from speaking, worried that anything she would say would make him trust her even less.

 

Soon enough, she finished. Her brother’s arms and legs were covered in bandages along with his torso. It wasn’t much, but this was the best she could do right now.

 

Coco stood up and hesitated before finally breaking the silence. “Hey, um…sorry I freaked on you back there. I shouldn’t have reacted like that.” She said dejectedly, voice laced with shame.

 

Crash stared at her in surprise and then gave her a weak shrug. While he still seemed wary of her, the stiff posture was gone.

 

Aku-Aku soon returned to the room, placing a floating bowl on the table with his magic. It was filled with Wumpa fruit and berries. “I got you children something to eat. I’m sure you’re quite hungry.” His gentle and kind voice seemed to put Crash at ease and he managed a small smile as he began eating eagerly. It made the mask wonder when the last time he ate anything was.

 

“You should eat too, Coco.” He stated.

 

“Alright,” The girl sighed and sat down with them, watching her brother munching on a Wumpa fruit. She didn’t feel much enthusiasm while eating her breakfast. It was hard to when her brother was looking at everything around him as if he was seeing it for the first, as if she was a stranger that he just met!

 

It felt so _wrong_. Everything about this did!

 

She could no longer see that familiar mischievous glint in his eyes or any trace of his goofy smile. There was none of that playful gleam in the bandicoot before her. 

 

_And that hurt so much….._

 

Coco raked her head for a way to solve this. There had to be a solution, had to be something they could do to help Crash remember who he was. They can’t just let him stay like this forever!

 

After thinking for a while, an idea hit her and her eyes lit up. She looked up at her brother who stopped filling his mouth with berries when he noticed her gaze on him. “Crash, listen. I know you’re confused about a lot of things right now, but Aku-Aku and I will try to help you remember everything.” She said and for the first time in the past two weeks she felt certain of something.

 

Aku-Aku smiled at the girl and nodded. “Yes, don’t worry Crash!

 

Crash seemed unsure for a moment before finally deciding to trust them. “Okay,”

 

“Great! Now, tell us what you remember,” Coco began.

 

Crash scratched his head, trying to think back as far he could, but the fog in his mind remained. “Nothing,” He said.

 

“Nothing at all?” Aku-Aku pressed on and Crash shook his head helplessly. He had no memories of anything before waking up earlier.

 

Coco’s smile fell briefly and then immediately returned. Okay, they didn’t have much to work with, but she refused to let that dampen her spirits!

 

“Alright, we’re going to have to start from the beginning I guess. I already mentioned that we’re siblings, but that wasn’t exactly the whole truth. You see, we used to live in a castle somewhere in the sea with a man named Dr. Cortex. He….you and I are mutants created by him.” She said hesitantly at the mention of the evil scientist.

 

Crash blinked in surprise at this and grimaced.

 

Why did the word _mutant_ leave a bad taste in his mouth?

 

She then proceeded telling him of the first time they met, training with the other mutants in Cortex’s castle and as much as she could recall of their life there, anything that she hoped would trigger a memory for her brother.  

 

Both Crash and Aku-Aku seemed to be engrossed in the stories she told and it put a fond smile on her face as she recalled fun times that felt as if were from many years ago, when they used to be happy and blissfully unaware of the true reason Cortex created them.

 

The mood in the room immediately shifted when she reluctantly began telling him about how he betrayed Cortex and escaped the castle before they could turn him evil.

 

Then it was Aku-Aku’s turn. He told them of how he first met Crash in the forest and everything he did during his time on the islands.

 

Coco was smiling widely as she listened to the old mask, having always wondered what he brother had been doing after they were separated that night. She then glanced at her brother.

 

While he seemed to be giving Aku-Aku his full attention, there was a weird look in his eyes, one that she couldn’t figure out. He almost looked uneasy the more he listened, but why?

 

Once the mask finished as well, they turned to Crash expectantly. “So….remember anything?” Coco asked hopefully, waiting with bathed breath.

 

Crash frowned and crossed his arms, face scrunching up as he tried to recall something, _anything_ from what the two had mentioned to him, but in the end he sighed in defeat.

 

“No,” He said and the two’s faces fell in disappointment.

 

Coco slumped back against her chair with a dejected sigh. “I can’t believe it,” She muttered.  

 

“Well, we should have known it won’t be that easy. It might take some time for him to fully remember,” Aku-Aku stated.

 

“Sorry,” Crash muttered, feeling bad for failing them.

 

Coco quickly tried to assure him. “H-hey, it’s fine! We will find some other way.” She said, recalling all the old books on the shelf. Maybe one of them will have something that could help her brother regain his memories.

 

Crash stared at his lap for a while and then looked up at them. Despite all the uncertainty he felt, he smiled and nodded.


	2. Ghost of a Memory

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone, I recommend you to read Something About You if you haven’t yet or you will be completely lost on what’s going on and what’s being referenced in this fic.

_Crash opened his eyes to find himself gripping tightly to the wall of a tower. He screwed his eyes shut as the rain fell endlessly over him and drenched his fur._

_He glanced downward for a way to get down from there only to see waves beating violently at the bottom of the tower. His blood ran cold at the thought of falling from this height._

_He squinted at the distance and saw nothing but the stormy sea. He was in the middle of nowhere, but how did he get here? What’s going on?_

_He flinched when lightening cackled in the sky and the wind grew stronger. If this keeps up then he was going to lose his grip on the rocks soon. Gritting his teeth, he tried to force himself to continue climbing up as the rain continued pouring down._

_He suddenly stopped when he saw a window at the top of the old tower and there was someone standing there, watching him._

_It was in that instant that his hands slipped and Crash felt his heart skip a beat. He screamed as he fell through the air for what felt like forever before disappearing into the raging sea._

 

Crash woke up with a gasp, heart pounding in his chest. He glanced around frantically and slowly relaxed when he realized he was lying on his bed in his bedroom. He sighed in relief.

 

It had been just a dream.

 

Slowly, he rolled over and grimaced slightly at the pain in his chest. He considered getting out of his bed and leaving the room, but then decided against it. As much as he didn’t mind the company of those two, it was nice to have a little time alone, time to think over everything that happened without their constant watch.

 

As he lay there thinking, Crash couldn’t help the odd feeling that he got when he looked around the room.

 

It was as if something that _should_ be here was missing, but he couldn’t see it. Like the shadow of the furniture was cast more to the left of where it should have fallen. The room felt empty and walls looked pretty dull.

 

_They should be blue…_

 

Even sleeping on this bed hadn’t been easy for him for some reason. Something didn’t feel right. He couldn’t just relax in it no matter how what he did.

 

_It didn’t used to be this hard before…._

The feeling was always at back of his mind, nagging at him, but he could never grasp it.

 

His mind then drift back to those two again. While he could tell they were trying to help him, he wasn’t sure how to feel about the stories they tell him.

 

It’s not that he thought they didn’t mean well, but the stories they keep telling him were….hard to believe.

 

They said that he was a hero, that he fought monsters in the forest, saved an entire village from a raid, stopped an evil scientist from ruling the world and much more!

 

It all sounded pretty farfetched, unbelievable.

 

He closed his eyes and gritted his teeth, trying to get himself to remember something to prove that everything they said was true, but he ended up with nothing like usual. Standing up, he moved over to a nearby mirror and stared at his reflection, at his slim features and the bandages covering his injuries. He tried posing in front of the mirror and was unimpressed with what he saw.

 

Crash didn’t look or feel like the hero they were describing in those stories. He felt like he didn’t deserve all the praise and the attention they were giving him. He felt like a fake who had been mistaken for the real thing.

 

Sighing, he glanced at his reflection one last time and then slowly headed for the door.

 

\--------

 

Aku-Aku was humming quietly to himself as he flew back to the small house. Bringing food every morning had become a daily task for him, not that he really minded it.

 

It had been far too long since he had this sort of company. The villager treated him with nothing but respect and were always formal towards him. It surprised the mask how much he enjoyed being around those children and making sure they were well fed.

 

He flew through the kitchen window and placed the bowl of food down before making his way out of the kitchen only to be surprised when he saw Coco sitting on a table with piles of books in front of her.

 

“Coco?”

 

“Oh, morning Aku-Aku!” She said without taking her eyes off the pages.

 

Aku-Aku frowned and flew over to her. “What are you doing?”

 

“I woke up early to search through the books we have. I might find something on memory loss in one of them that could help us.” She answered. “Early” meant a few hours before sunrise if the dark circles under her eyes were any indication.

 

“Coco, while I appreciate your efforts, I don’t think you should be overworking yourself. You should go get some rest. ” He said in concern. The fact that Coco hadn’t been sleeping well during the time when Crash was missing didn’t help at all.

 

“But I need to keep looking for a solution to help Crash!” She insisted.

 

Aku-Aku frowned sternly. “But pushing yourself like this won’t do you any good.”

 

“You don’t get it!” Coco snapped the book shut and glared at him. “I haven’t been there when Crash was in danger all those many times. I couldn’t even stop Cortex from hurting him before. Helping him remember is least I could do!” She muttered, voice wavering slightly.

 

She had been separated from her brother twice before and thought she lost him each time. Now they were finally together again and he had no idea who she was!

 

Aku-Aku’s face softened upon seeing the crestfallen look on her face. “I understand how you feel, Coco. I wish there was something I could do to get him to remember us too, but there is no point in neglecting your own wellbeing like _this_. Memories or not, Crash isn’t in any danger right now.”

 

“But-”

 

“Besides, how do you think your brother will react if he finds out that you’re doing this to yourself for his sake?” The mask asked with a raised brow.

 

Coco flinched guiltily, knowing Crash will probably feel really terrible about that. As much as she hated to admit it, the mask was right. Even if he doesn’t know who she was, Crash’s life wasn’t in real danger. Pushing herself like this just for the sake of getting a solution quickly won’t do them any good, especially if the stress and fatigue caught up to her eventually. Then Aku-Aku will be left alone to take care of the two of both.

 

“Okay, fine.” She sighed and closed her book, placing it on the table begrudgingly with the others.

 

Just then, the two tensed up at the sound of a door opening and saw Crash step into the room. He seemed to hesitate when he caught their gazes and gave them a nervous wave.

 

“Morning, Crash. Did you sleep well?” Aku-Aku asked him as he flew over to him and he nodded with a smile.

 

Aku-Aku paused briefly, finding it strange to see Crash smiling at him again considering they weren’t on….the best terms the last time they saw each other. He quickly smiled back before the bandicoot could notice it. “That’s good to hear.”

 

Crash then walked over to his sister who greeted him as well. “Hey, um…” He tried to remember her name. “Coco?”

 

“Yes, Crash? Is something wrong?” She asked, eager to help her brother out in any way.

 

“It’s…it’s my room.” He said hesitantly unsure of how to bring this up.

 

Coco blinked in confusion. “You mean there is something in there?” Crash seemed to be struggling to explain his problem without using too many words. It baffled her that despite losing all of his memories, her brother managed to hold on to that trait.

 

Slowly, Crash began explaining to her about the strange feeling he gets in that room without mentioning anything about the dream he had.

 

Coco frowned and rubbed her chin, trying to get her tired, sleep-deprived mind to process everything he told her. Soon enough, it clicked in her head and her eyes widened.

 

“You’re remembering your old room!” She gasped.

 

Crash blinked and tilted his head to the side. “Huh?”

 

“You’re describing your old room from back in the castle!” She explained, excited at the fact that her brother finally remembered something!

 

“That’s great, Crash!” Aku-Aku muttered.

 

Crash watched his sister bounce in her seat excitedly as he took in what she said and soon found himself grinning back.

 

Sure, it wasn’t much, but it was a start.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading. I hope you enjoyed this chapter!


	3. Get Me Through

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone. It had been a tough week for me, but I’m glad I managed to finish this chapter despite that. :)

Crash sighed as lay on the couch in the living room alone. Coco asked him to wait here and disappeared into one of the rooms with Aku-Aku, but it’s been ten minutes and they haven’t returned yet.

 

Sitting up, he stared at the hallway where the two went in boredom and then his gaze turned to the other door curiously. Maybe he could go outside until they came back. He recalled asking his sister if they could go to the forest, but she always refused, saying that he shouldn’t run around while his injuries are still healing.

 

Crash glanced down at the bandages. True, he still felt some pain in certain parts of his body, but it wasn’t bad as it used to be. He’ll be fine!

 

Looking back at the hallway for any sign that someone was coming, he hopped off the couch and slowly made his way to the door.

 

**\------**

 

“What are we looking for again?” Aku-Aku asked as he watched Coco search the bedroom.

 

“Anything that could trigger a memory for Crash.” She said as she searched inside the drawers. “My brother remembered his room because it was something he was familiar with. Since he lived here for a while, maybe we could find something that would do the same thing.” She picked up a dusty old shoe and tossed it away in disgust.

 

Coco sighed and ran a hand through her hair. As much as she hated it, a part of her actually wished that Cortex’s castle hadn’t been entirely destroyed. Her and Crash’s belongings were there, including some photos. Seeing one of those would’ve greatly helped restore Crash’s memories, but they were probably at the bottom of the ocean right now.

 

“Hold on, what about this?” Aku-Aku flew over and stood next to the nightstand. Coco raised an eyebrow and walked over to find a red yo-yo on top of it.

 

“I think I saw Crash carrying it around once,” The mask explained.

 

Coco picked it up and examined the yo-yo. She remembered Crash showing her one of these things excitedly in a magazine a few weeks ago. She smiled and turned to the mask.  “Well, it’s worth a shot.”

 

The two hurried to the living room to show Crash the yo-yo only to find it empty.

 

“Crash?” Coco muttered as she stepped forward. “Where are you?”

 

“Maybe he’s in the bathroom,” Aku-Aku said. Coco briefly assumed that was the case, but then she noticed something that made her breathing hitch.

 

The door was left open.

 

The girl knew she it wasn’t like that when they left which could only mean one thing….

 

“On no,” Coco quickly ran out of the house and looked around frantically. “Crash? CRASH!” She called out worriedly, but no reply came.

 

“Where could he have gone?” Aku-Aku asked.

 

“I don’t know!” Coco muttered anxiously. The thought of her amnesiac brother wandering the island alone terrified her. What if he got attacked? What if got lost? How would he find his way back?

 

“C’mon!” She said to the mask and began searching the beach for her brother, but there was no sign of him anywhere.

 

“Over there!” Aku-Aku exclaimed, gazing at the edge of the forest. “I could feel it. He went this way!”

 

Without a second thought, Coco quickly sprinted after the mask, hoping her brother was okay wherever he was.

 

**\-----**

 

Crash laughed as he ran through the forest, looking around at everything in delight. The animals, the birds, the trees. There was just so much to see no matter where he looked!

 

A sudden noise caused the bandicoot to stop running. He looked over to see something stepping out of the bushes. It was…..a small fox.

 

When it noticed Crash, it titled its head and yipped before slowly approaching him. A huge grin split Crash’s face as he knelt down and reached his hand towards it. The small animal sniffed his hand curiously.

 

Despite the joy he was feeling, Crash was struck with an odd sense of déjà vu. Something about this situation felt….familiar in a way, but he couldn’t explain it.

 

The fox’s ears suddenly perked up and made an alarmed noise at Crash before fleeing into the bushes again.

 

Crash scratched his head, wondering what scared it away. It was then his ears picked up on the sound of footsteps nearby and he peeked from behind a tree to see a group of tribesmen.

 

Crash felt his stomach turn and a sense of uneasiness filled him. Why did seeing those humans make him so anxious, made him want to run away as far as he could? He found himself unconsciously taking a step back, crushing a branch by accident.

 

The hunters immediately reacted and blindly threw one of their spears towards the source of the sound, barely missing Crash.

 

The bandicoot yelped and fell on his back, shaking in fear as the hunters stepped towards him with their weapons. Panicking, Crash quickly got up and scrambled away.

 

It took a moment for the hunters to recognize him as Aku-Aku’s friend and tried calling for him, but he was already gone.

 

Crash sprinted through the trees without looking back. He nearly tripped several times, but he didn’t dare to stop as his heart pounded in his chest violently.

 

Suddenly, Crash stepped into something that made him stop in his tracks. He looked down in confusion at the brown soil he stepped in. He tried getting his feet out of it, but they remained stuck there.

 

It was then Crash noticed something. His feet weren’t just stuck…they were sinking further into it!

 

Eyes widening in alarm, the bandicoot continued struggling to free himself, but it was no use. He couldn’t move no matter what he did. “H-Help!” He cried out. Someone must have been nearby because he heard the sound of footsteps coming his way.

 

“Crash?”

 

He looked over to see it was Coco, looking relieved to see him. “I’ve been looking everywhere for-”

 

“Help me!” Crash cut her off, voice shaking with panic. Coco finally saw what was happening to his legs and gasped. She quickly reached out to him without stepping into the quicksand.

 

“Grab my hand!” She exclaimed. Once he grabbed a hold of it with both his hands, she began pulling, but for a while nothing happened. Half of his body had already disappeared into the ground, much to their horror.

 

“No, no, no!” Coco continued pulling as hard as she could, tears of panic and frustration welling up in her eyes. Her brother looked just as scared as most of as he felt the soil reaching his neck.

 

Crash screwed his eyes shut, bracing himself for what was to come, but then to his surprise, everything stopped. His body was no longer sinking. He looked up to see Aku-Aku floating next his sister with his eyes flashing brightly.

 

Coco finally managed to pull him out of the pit and he fell to his knees panting with her.

 

“Are…are you okay?” She asked, out of breath. Crash slowly nodded. Sighing in relief, she stood up and frowned at him. “Crash, I told you to wait for me in the living room. What were you thinking coming all the way here!?” she scolded.

 

Crash flinched and looked down at the ground. “Sorry,” he said timidly, the child-like persona returning.

 

Coco wanted to say more, but stopped herself. She had to calm down. She couldn’t yell at him again and risk causing him to close himself off like before.

 

“Crash, coming here was very reckless of you. Imagine what would have happened if we didn’t find you in time.” Aku-Aku said and Crash winced guiltily. “Why did you leave the house?”

 

Crash then slowly explained to them about how he had been playing with a fox at the edge of the forest when the hunters came and attacked him.

 

Aku-Aku frowned. “I’m sure there must be a mistake. The natives know who Crash is and wouldn’t attack him for no reason. I’m going to go ask them about this.” He then turned to the two. “Coco, you and Crash should head back home.”

 

“Alright,” Coco said as she took her brother’s hand and began leading him back to their house. On the way, Coco glanced at him at the corner of her eye and felt her chest grow heavy with worry. Even if they saved him now, they had no way of knowing if it would happen again.

 

She finally stopped and turned to face him. “Crash, look. I…I know you didn’t mean to make us worry, but….promise me you won’t do anything like that again, okay?”

 

Crash stared at her for a moment and then nodded.

 

It wasn’t long until they made it back to the beach. Coco had been making her way to their house when she suddenly couldn’t hear the sound of her brother’s footsteps. She turned around and saw him standing still.

 

He was staring at the sea with a blank expression, his eyes seemed to be searching for something in the distance.

 

“Crash?”

 

Her voice seemed to snap him out of his trance and he looked at her in confusion.  

 

“Are you alright?” She asked in concern.

 

Her brother hesitated before nodding and following her to their house.

 

It was probably his imagination, but just for a moment he thought he saw a dark structure far in the sea.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading. I’m having a blast writing this fic and I hope you’re enjoying it.


	4. Behind Denial

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone, this chapter was a little hard for me to write, but I hope you enjoy it.

After washing up from the mud, Crash was finally given the yo-yo. “Here, Crash,” Coco said as she handed it to him. “Do you remember this?” she asked hopefully.

 

Crash held the yo-yo in his hand and examined it for a minute carefully. He then looked up at them and shook his head.

 

Coco frowned, but refused to give up. “Why don’t you try playing with it?”

 

Crash shrugged and took a step back from her. He couldn’t help feeling a little awkward with the two watching him expectantly like this. Still, he hesitantly began playing with the yo-yo.

 

For a while nothing happened and Crash was starting to think nothing would, but then the yo-yo came flying back towards him and he jerked to the side to avoid getting hit in the face by it again.

 

_Again?_

 

Blinking, Crash stared at the yo-yo dangling from his finger in puzzlement.

 

“Remember anything now?” Aku-Aku asked.

 

“I...I think so,” Crash murmured.

 

Coco couldn’t help it. She squealed in delight and threw her arms around him. “Yes! We’re actually making progress!” She muttered with a grin.

 

Crash’s smile fell a little at that. While he appreciated their help, he was still skeptical about the stories they told him. After all, they have yet to show him any _real_ evidence that all those things actually happened. He kept that thought to himself though.

 

“Do you want to continue?” The mask asked and Crash let out a yawn, shaking his head.

 

“Nap,” he said tiredly.

_Something’s never change I guess._ Coco thought and giggled. “Sure Crash. You had a rough day after all.”

 

Crash gave her a nod and then walked over to the couch. He laid down and was out like a light in a matter of seconds.

 

“Let’s leave him to rest.” Aku-Aku said and the two left the room quietly. “So, what are going to do now?” He asked as they stood in the hallway.

 

“We’re going to keep looking more stuff to show Crash.”

 

Aku-Aku frowned. “I don’t wish to discourage you, but Crash and I spent most of our time outdoors protecting the islands. He only came back here to rest so I’m I don’t think we’ll find much that he’s familiar with.”

 

“But this is what worked best so we have to keep doing it,” She stated. “Besides, it’s the only thing we could do to jog up his memory right now since we told him everything we have about him.”

 

“Yes…of course,” Aku-Aku murmured, averting his gaze away.

 

Coco blinked and glanced at him in confusion. “Aku-Aku, you did tell Crash everything that happened while he was living in the islands….right?”

 

Aku-Aku grimaced. “Well, not quite. I mean….I may have left some things out-”

 

“What!? Why did you do that?” Coco exclaimed in shock, enraged by the fact that he kept something as important as that from them.

 

The mask flinched guiltily and looked down at the ground. “Look, I didn’t mean to hide things from you two. I only left some incidents out because I felt they were too….unpleasant for him.” He tried to reason.

 

“It doesn’t matter. You still should have told him about them!” Coco insisted.

 

Aku-Aku couldn’t help the frustration in his voice. “But why? What would be the point of him remembering something if it’s going to only hurt him?” He argued. “Don’t you think he’ll be better off if he didn’t remember those terrible things? He might be even happier!”

 

 _True, but that’s not your only reason._ A voice at the back of his mind said and Aku-Aku instantly blocked it out.

 

Coco looked conflicted and opened her mouth to argue, but was cut off by a loud cry. It took them a moment to realize it came from the living room.

 

“Crash!”

 

**\------**

 

_Crash opened his eyes to see he was in a dark room of some kind. He couldn’t see anyone no matter how hard he squinted._

_“H-hello?” He called out as he stepped forward cautiously, looking around the darkness. It was then he spotted something in the dark. It looked like a….cage. It was smashed and some of the bars were twisted._

_He frowned in confusion and walked passed it. As he went further, he saw more cages scattered around the room. They were all in a similar state; broken and damaged._

_It unsettled the bandicoot greatly. He quickened his pace, feeling his uneasiness growing with every second._

_Suddenly, he stopped in his tracks._

_There was a beam of light up ahead, finally. Crash felt relieved momentarily and hurried over towards it. He was then surprised at what he saw. It seemed to be some kind of table._

_Crash gulped, feeling his heart beating faster. He stood stiff as a board, hands shaking slightly. What’s…what’s wrong with him? Why seeing that thing made him feel so scared, so vulnerable?_

_He took a step back, feeling all of his senses screaming at him to leave, to turn and run away as far away as he can. It was then he noticed something else. Someone seemed to be lying on the-_

_A rumbling sound caused Crash to turn around and froze up when he saw the room was getting darker and darker to the point where he can’t even see the cages anymore. He found himself looking around fearfully._

_Something then in the shadows around him moved. There were more than one, circling around him. He screamed as they latched onto him._

_Crash struggled and thrashed, but nothing worked. It spread over his body and grew over his mouth. He couldn’t move, couldn’t escape, couldn’t-_

“Crash, wake up!”

 

Crash’s eyes snapped and he shot up, looking around frantically. His heart was hammering violently in his chest and his breathing was shaky.

 

“Are you okay?” Coco asked, looking at him with Aku-Aku in concern.

 

“I…I’m fine,” He said, averting his gaze from them.

 

“What were you dreaming about, Crash? You sounded really scared.” She asked, but he quickly shook his head. He didn’t want to talk about that nightmare or even think about it.

 

He hopped off the couch and started walking away.

 

“Where are you going?” Aku-Aku called out.

 

“Bathroom,” was his answer before disappearing down the hallway.

 

Aku-Aku stared at the doorway and frowned. “Coco, I’m worried about Crash. I feel that something is bothering him and he’s not telling us.”

 

Coco raised an eyebrow at him and shrugged. “Why? It’s only a bad dream.”

 

“Because this happened before,”

 

“What?” Coco muttered, confused.

 

“During his first night on the island, I heard Crash screaming in his sleep and woke him up. I tried to get him to tell me what he saw in his dream, but he refused just like what he did just now.” He explained grimly. “Not to mention he always has this…..look on his face when he wakes up from those nightmares and I just….I’m really worried about him.”

 

Coco frowned and stared at the hallway, her chest growing heavy with worry _._

 

Meanwhile, Crash was standing in front of the sink, trying to calm his nerves down. He splashed his face a few times and then shook the water off himself. “It…it was just a dream,” he murmured to himself reassuringly, staring at his reflection. He then sighed and walked away.

 

He tried to ignore the tingling feeling around his wrists.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading. While Crash is struggling to regain his memories, a part of him is actually trying to suppress them. He is afraid of remembering what happened to him, but he doesn’t realize that.


	5. Time Stands Still

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone. Sorry this one took a while, but I was busy with my midterm exams.
> 
> Heads up, angst and feels ahead.

Over the next few days something changed.

 

Coco had at first paid it not mind, thinking she was just imagining it, but as more times passed she realized it wasn’t the case. Her brother was avoiding her. He spent a lot of time in his room or outside the house. All their conversation end on an awkward note and he sometimes leave the room when she enter.

 

Coco tried not to show it, but it hurt her to see him distancing himself from her like this. She thought they were making progress, thought they were moving past their rough start, but now everything was falling back to the way it used to be!

 

But why? Did she do something wrong? Had she been too pushy when trying to help him remember? She wanted to know, but she didn’t know how to approach him about this. 

 

That morning she was sitting on the couch, eyes on the pages of a book she wasn’t really reading. Her gaze would wander off to her brother who was lying near the fireplace in boredom, facing away from her. The girl felt her heart clutch, but tried to shake it off and continue reading.

 

Aku-Aku suddenly appeared in the middle of the room. “Children, I’m glad you’re both here!”

 

“What is it?” Coco asked, closing her book while Crash rolled over to look at him.

 

“Since the last few days have been quite stressful for us, I thought the three of us could go to the forest. A little exploring might be exactly what you need,” He explained, though there was something weird about the way he said the last part.

 

“Well, I don’t see why not. What about you Crash?” She asked her brother.

 

“But the hunters…..” Crash said nervously.

 

“Oh don’t worry, Crash. I already talked to the villagers and they said they are deeply sorry for attacking you the other day. They didn’t know it was you back then,” Aku-Aku stated.

 

Crash seemed to think about this for a moment before sighing and nodding.

 

The three then left the house and headed into the forest. Coco glanced at her brother who watching a ladybug flying around curiously, but when he caught her gaze his ears fell and looked away from her. Coco sighed and looked up ahead at Aku-Aku who was humming quietly to himself.

 

“So, where are we going exactly?”

 

“We’ll head to the east side of the forest and then stop near the lake.” Aku-Aku said, but there was an almost mischievous glint in his eyes, making her slightly suspicious.

 

After walking for a while, the mask flew past some bushes while the two bandicoots had to walk right through them. Their eyes widened in surprise when they saw a large crate placed in the middle of the clearing.

 

Aku-Aku flew over next to it, smiling at him. “Come over here!”

 

The two exchanged glances before making their way to the crate. “Where did this come from?” Coco asked.

 

Aku-Aku ignore her question. “Come on, open it.” He said, grinning.

 

Crash and Coco did as they were told and pushed open the crate, gasping in surprise at what was inside it. It was filled with supplies. Canned food, kitchen utensils, blankets and much more.

 

“Aku-Aku, w-where did you find this?” She asked in delight. There was no way he found this in the middle of the forest.

 

“I found it on the south beach last night. My best guess is that it fell from a ship that passed somewhere near the islands.” He said and looked away sheepishly. “And since you children looked pretty down lately I…I thought about surprising you and…”

 

Both Crash and Coco laughed. “Thanks, Aku-Aku!” Coco muttered and the mask felt warmth fill him.

 

Crash snatched a can of fruit from within the box. He opened it and immediately began stuffing his mouth.

 

“Crash!” Coco scolded, but she was smiling.

 

Crash then looked over to Aku-Aku. “Thanks, Mr. Mask Guy!”

 

Aku-Aku laughed. “It’s nothing, Crash. I…” He blinked and looked down at Crash in shock. “Wait, what did you just call me?”

 

Crash titled his head to the side, confused by his reaction. “Mr. Mask Guy?”

 

Aku-Aku stared at him. He didn’t know whether to laugh or cry at the fact that Crash was calling him by the nickname he gave him without realizing it. A feeling of longing and nostalgia hit the mask.

 

He never realized just how much he missed going around with Crash like they used to, exploring the island and having put up with his reckless stunts and teasing. He missed that a lot and was glad to be able to do it again.

 

“But how are we going to get this all the way back?” Coco asked suddenly.

 

“Don’t worry, I’ll teleport it back to your house and then I’ll come back for you. Wait here,” Aku-Aku then flew over the crate and disappeared with it in a flash of light.

 

Coco then looked over to her brother who was still eating from the can, fruit juice dripping from his fingers and some it even getting on his fur. She rolled her eyes.

 

“Crash, now your fur is going to become sticky. Go find somewhere to wash up,” she muttered.

 

Crash shrugged and walked away. He could see the lake up ahead and quickly ran over towards it. He bent down and dipped his hand into the water. He then took off his gloves and began cleaning up his fur from the juice stains.

 

Suddenly, Crash noticed something on the back of his right hand. He turned it over and stared at the dark strange N symbol imprinted on it.

 

Something about that letter made his breathing speed up. Something about that letter being on his hand made his body shake, but why? Why? 

 

Crash suddenly cried out when he felt a jolt at the back of his head. Images flashes in front of his eyes and voices filled his head.

 

_“Ah I see you’re awake.”_

_“I am your creator, Dr. Cortex.”_

_“Crash….Crash Bandicoot. I think it suits him.”_

 

Crash clutched his he head and whimpered as the sharp pain didn’t cease.

 

_“No, just leave me alone,”_

_“What are you waiting for, Crash? Finish him off!”_

_“I created you for the sole reason to fight and you couldn’t even do that, you idiot!”_

_“You’ll be the perfect evil commander you were always supposed to be.”_

_“Crash, run!”_

 

Crash could hear distressed cries over him, but he couldn’t hear what was being said.

 

_“All you want is to hurt and destroy.”_

_“See Crash? He can’t even defend himself. I told you back in my office that it doesn’t matter on whose side you are. People will always see you as a means to an end and make you fight for them because that’s **all** you really are.”_

_“You’re going to learn your place one way or another, **mutant**.”_

_“Don’t say I didn’t warn you, mate. You should have stopped when you had the chance.”_

 

He cracked his watery eyes open to see his vision was flickering and his surroundings changing. He was no longer on the island, but back in the lab, strapped on a table. The glowing machine looming ominously over him. He struggled and cried out as he was lifted into it. A bright pink light exploded in his vision and the memory of horrible, burning pain coursing through his body struck him.

 

He was then on the ground. Broken and twisted pieces of metal were scattered everywhere. He glanced down at his hands and saw something was wrong with them.

 

His hands and the rest of his body was completely black and burning with pink and white fire.

 

_Everything hurts…._

 

Crash screwed his eyes shut and his shoulders shook as the assault on his mind and the pain continued for what felt like _hours_ until everything finally stopped and he was left panting on his knees.

 

He remembered now.

 

**\-------**

 

Aku-Aku appeared again in the clearing ready to take the two mutants back home, but he found neither of them.

 

“Children?” He called out and was startled by a distressed cry near the lake. Without a second thought, he flew as fast he could there.

 

When he got there, he found Coco with Crash who was on his knees, shaking and whimpering.

 

“Coco, what happened?” He asked worriedly.

 

“I don’t know! He was fine just a minute ago and then I found him like this.” She answered, voice laced with panic.

 

Aku-Aku grimaced. Why was this happening now? Everything he had been going so well!

 

Just then, Crash stopped trembling and panted shakily. “Crash, are you okay?” she asked, rubbing his back comfortingly. Crash murmured something that she couldn’t quite make out.

 

“What happened, Crash?” Aku-Aku as he floated over to him. Crash suddenly flinched at his voice and Aku-Aku was taken back by the scowl he gave him.

 

“Stay away!” Crash snapped, surprising them both.

 

“C-Crash, what are you doing? He’s our friend,” Coco stammered, startled by his behavior.

 

“Crash, it’s me. Aku-Aku!” the mask muttered, fearing that the bandicoot’s amnesia was much worse than they thought and he just forgotten who he was.

 

“You used me!” Crash yelled at him accusingly.

 

“What?” Aku-Aku muttered in confusion. It took the mask a moment to realize what he was referring to and his eyes widened, recognizing the angry look the mutant was giving him.

 

 “Crash, what do you mean?” Coco asked him.

 

“No, listen. I-”

 

“You believed Cortex.” Crash continued. “You believed I will turn evil!”

 

“No, I-I didn’t!” Aku-Aku stammered. “I may had some doubts back then, but I never really believed what he said!”

 

“And your promise?” Crash asked with a raised brow. Aku-Aku stiffened.

 

_“And when all of this is over, I…I’ll leave you alone and I won’t come back….I promise.”_

 

That’s what he said before they left to the castle. Coco was saved and yet he was still here. He winced under the bandicoot’s glare. “I was going to leave, but then when I found out that you lost your memories I couldn’t leave you two alone. I had to stay and help!”

 

“You didn’t tell me everything!” Crash countered.

 

“G-Guys, please calm down,” Coco said, looking between them worriedly.

 

“I thought you’ll be better off not remembering everything bad that happened here!” Aku-Aku argued back.

 

Crash shook his head and glared at him. “No, you just didn’t want me to know about what you did!” he snapped. Not only did the mask use him and never kept his promise, but he also kept secrets from him just like….just like…..

 

Crash gritted his teeth and screwed his eyes shut angrily before shouting. “You’re just like _them!_ ”

 

“Crash!” Coco gasped.

 

It took Aku-Aku a moment to realize who he was talking about and when did, he felt instantly crushed. Crash was comparing him to Cortex and the other mutants…..

 

It stung. And he couldn’t even deny any of what he was saying. It’s true. A part of him was happy to be with Crash again, to be able spend more time with him and his sister….he…he just……

 

“I DIDN’T WANT TO LOSE YOU AGAIN!” Aku-Aku finally blurted out and silence fell around them. His lips quivered as the two bandicoot blinked at him in surprise, taken aback.

 

“Y-you’re the only friend I had in a long time.” Aku-Aku murmured quietly, memories of his brother before his betrayal flashing in his mind. “I’ve been protecting these islands for centuries by myself. Being their guardian is all I ever known, but when Cortex came here everything fell apart. Everyone expected me to just make all their problems _magically_ disappear and I tried, I really tried, but nothing I ever did managed to drive them away. I was too weak to stop them. For the longest time I thought that there was no hope for us…and…and I was just delaying the inevitable.”

 

He looked up at Crash and smiled weakly. “Then you came, Crash, and you changed everything. Despite the way I treated you at first, you offered to help me out even when I told you not to. You never judged me when I told I wasn’t the same powerful I used to be. You….you made me feel as if I hadn’t let everyone down.” He said, voice wavering. “Yes, I fell for Cortex’s lies and it was wrong of me. I admit it. I was just so angry and bitter at mutants for what they did to the island that I let what he said get to me,”

 

“When you came back to us a few days ago, I couldn’t bring myself to tell you the truth because I knew you would be mad at me again and I’d have to leave, but….I wasn’t ready to go back to being alone again…I wasn’t ready to say goodbye.”

 

He knew he should stop talking, knew nothing he said could ever make up for what he had done, but he couldn’t stop himself. It was coming out, all of it.

 

“Right now everyone on the islands keeps praising and thanking me for driving away Cortex, but I don’t deserve any of their gratitude! It’s you who saved the islands, Crash. It’s you who made everything alright again. I couldn’t protect you or anybody. _I failed as a guardian!”_

 

He looked up at the two mutants who seemed confused and lost on what to do. Crash now looked more concerned than angry at him.

 

“I’m sorry, children….I’m so sorry,” Aku-Aku murmured brokenly, guilt and shame filling his voice before flying away, leaving the two bandicoots alone in the clearing.

 

**\---------**

 

Crash lay silently on his bed, facing the wall and staring at nothing in particular. He didn’t know what time was it nor did he care. Ever since Aku-Aku left them yesterday, he locked himself in his room and hadn’t left it.

 

Just then, the door creaked and light poured into the dark room. “Crash?” his sister’s concerned voice reached his ears and he felt a little guilty for making her worry about him, but he remained in the same position, unmoving.

 

He heard the sound of gentle footsteps approaching and felt an additional weight on his bed. “Are you alright?” She asked carefully.

 

Crash said nothing and just grunted in response.

 

Sighing, she moved over and sat on the edge of the bed.  “Crash, please tell me what’s wrong.”

 

Crash lay there for a moment quietly before he pulled himself up and sat next her on the bedside, staring down at the floor dejectedly.

 

“You’re still upset about what happened yesterday, aren’t you.” she asked and he finally nodded. The two of them sat together in silence for a moment before she finally broke it.

 

“So….do you remember everything now?”

 

“Not everything,” Crash answered with a shrug. “Still a little fuzzy.”

 

“Oh,” Coco bit lip, not knowing how to approach this. “Crash, do you…. hate Aku-Aku?” she asked hesitantly.

 

“He betrayed me,” Crash said without looking up at her, completely avoiding her question. He didn’t know what to think about him anymore. He had been so angry at him back then, but now he can no longer summon that same anger….even if he tried.

 

The fight they had near the lake and the mask’s final words kept replying in his face all day. He could only feel a dull ache in his chest now.

 

Coco sighed again and ran a hand through her hair. “I know you’re upset with him and yes, what he did was wrong. I won’t deny that, but he sounded really sorry, Crash.”

 

Crash huffed and looked away from her.

 

Coco frowned and looked down at her feet, lost on what to do or say. When she had thought about the time her brother would regain his memories, this was not what she had in mind. She thought they will be happy and safe now that Cortex is gone. Not… _this!_

_“_ Crash….do you really think Cortex and Aku-Aku are the same?” She asked and he averted his gaze from her. “Listen, Aku-Aku may have hurt you, but he didn’t mean to and he’s sorry about it. Cortex however hurt us so many times before and he isn’t sorry about any of what he did to us. Aku-Aku cares about you and you know that.”

 

“I’m not telling to forgive him because that’s up to _you_ to decide, but I think you should find him and talk to him.”

 

Crash blinked at her words and stared at his lap for a while, feeling completely torn.

 

Despite everything he had done, Crash could recall, at a distant corner of his mind, hazy memories of him and the mask together. The time when Aku-Aku comforted him after his fight with the Venus flytrap, when he saved him from the tribesmen, when he helped him out when was hurt after destroying the factory and when he refused to leave him behind in the collapsing castle. His sister was right. They weren’t the same, not at all.

 

“Okay,” He finally glanced at her and nodded with a small smile. Coco smiled widely back and placed her arm around him and pulled closer to her.

 

“So, how are we going to find him? He could be anywhere on the islands,” She asked when they were leaving the house.

 

Crash rubbed his chin and closed his eyes, a brief glimpse of a fortress deep in the jungle flashing in his mind. He grinned and turned to her.

 

“Follow me!”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It was honestly bound to happen. When Crash got most of his memories back, he also remembered the falling out he had with Aku-Aku. Since they hadn’t made up before going to the castle, Crash felt even more hurt and betrayed by him. Still wasn’t easy for me to write though. :(
> 
> Anyway, the next chapter will probably be the last one. Thanks for reading and please review!


	6. Never Again

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone, this is it. The final chapter of this fic. Thank you so much for all your support.
> 
> Enjoy the final chapter of Blank Points!

“Crash, are you sure you know where you’re going?” Coco asked for the second time since they left as they ventured through the jungle.

 

“Uh-huh,” Crash said without looking back at her, walking over a fallen tree.

 

Coco huffed as she pushed away some leaves out of her way. It’s not that she didn’t trust her brother, but the fact that he hadn’t regained all of his memories made her anxious about the possibility of getting lost in this jungle.

 

Another thought then entered Coco’s mind and it made her stop walking. Crash’s ears picked up on that and he turned around to look at her inquiringly

 

 Coco finally sighed and spoke up. “Crash, why do you keep ignoring me?”

 

Crash blinked, taken aback by the question.

 

“You know what I’m talking about. You’ve been avoiding me for days. You barely even talk to me anymore and I want to know why!” She demanded, unable to hide her frustration anymore. She had worked so hard to help her brother remember who he was, always tried not to push him too hard and refused to give up on him even when it seemed pointless to keep trying.

 

So then why? Why did he start ignoring her presence? Why does he feel the need to keep his distance from her? Did he have any idea how much it hurt her?

 

Crash stared at her for a moment and then looked down at the ground guiltily. “I make you sad.”

 

“What?” Coco muttered, confused.

 

“You’re always sad…..when I’m around,” Crash explained quietly. “Because I don’t remember you,”

 

Coco’s eyes slowly widened in realization and felt her heart clutch.

 

All this time he had been avoiding her because he thought he was hurting her by being around her, because he wasn’t who he used to be….who she wanted him to be.

 

“Crash… you dummy!” Coco shouted, feeling tears well up in her eyes. She quickly rushed over and hugged the surprised bandicoot tightly. “Yes, I…I was sad back then and I wanted you to r-remember who I am, but that doesn’t mean I wanted you out of my sight when you couldn’t,” she murmured, sniffling.

 

She then pulled away slightly and whipped at her teary eyes. “I’m sorry I made you feel bad about not remembering. You’re still my big brother, Crash, memories or not.”

 

Crash stared at the girl in disbelieve. Ever since he woke up with no idea who he was and heard the stories that the two told him, he always doubted that he was the same Crash they wanted back or if they still cared about him now if he remained an empty husk without memories.

 

So to hear Coco, who had been the most distraught about his amnesia, admit that erased all the doubts and fears that plagued him this whole time.

 

He slowly smiled and hugged her back, feeling a lump rise in his throat.

 

“Now let’s keep going,” she said, more confidently this time. Crash nodded and began leading her through the trees again. It’s been a while since he had taken this path with Aku-Aku and the forest looked a lot more different in the day than at night.

 

Finally, in the distance a large wooden structure peaked through the trees. Crash grinned widely. “Come on!” He muttered as he ran over to the village gate. Coco hurried after him, expression uneasy as she gazed at the spikes on the walls surrounding the village.

 

Crash then called out and two humans gazed down at him from the watch towers. They then yelled something at the people on the other side of the gate. The massive gate then slowly opened and the two mutants made their way forward.

 

All of the villagers stopped whatever they were doing and stared at them, much to Coco’s discomfort. She quickened her pace and stuck to her brother’s side. “Crash, are you sure these people can help us?”

 

Crash nodded.

 

“But they don’t look all that friendly,” She whispered, eyeing the sharp spears some had and smiling nervously at the hunters.

 

Crash opened his mouth to argue, but then closed it shut when he recalled his first encounter with them.

 

Soon enough, the two stopped at the sight of the chief approaching.

 

“Hi!” Crash waved at him cheerfully. The large man’s expression remained solemn though there was a slight curve in his lips. He then said spoke in his language, looking at them curiously, especially Coco.

 

“What did he say?” Coco asked her brother tensely who was just realized a huge flaw in his plan.

 

“I…I don’t know?” He answered sheepishly.

 

Coco stared at him in disbelief. “What? Why did you get us all the way out here then? What were you thinking!?”

 

The villagers watched the two sibling argue for a whole minute, unsure of what to do.

 

Crash finally turned to them nervously. “Uhh…..Aku-Aku?” he muttered, making a confused shrug at them.

 

“Huh?” Papu-Papu tilted his head to the side in confusion.

 

“Aku-Aku,” Crash placed his hand over his eyes and began looking around uncertainly, hoping they would understand this time.  

 

The chief glanced exchanges glances with his guards and they began murmuring with each other.

 

“Great,” Coco sighed.

 

The chief then made his way over to the two bandicoot who looked at him nervously. The man then pointed his staff at a distant mountain and then glanced down at them. “Aku-Aku,”

 

It took them a second to get what was he was trying to tell them and when they did, a huge grin split Crash’s face while Coco’s jaw dropped in disbelief.

 

“Wait, that actually worked!?” she muttered, dumbfounded. Crash sent her a smug look and she rolled her eyes at him.

 

“Thanks!” Crash said gratefully and the man just nodded.

 

Crash and Coco then turned around and rushed to the gate again. “For real though, I didn’t expect that to work. Well done, big brother,” Coco said with a sheepish smile.

 

Crash hummed in response as they hurried down the forest path. After half an hour, they reached the base of the mountain.

 

Crash looked up at to see the mountain peak touching the sky and gulped. Stealing himself, they began walking up the slope. It wasn’t long until they encountered an obstacle. There was a large rock ledge in their way.

 

“How are we going to get up there?” Coco asked.

 

Crash stared at the rock for a moment and then stepped towards it. He jumped onto the wall, gripping the rocks and slowly began climbing up while his sister watched him worriedly.

 

When he made it to the top, he looked down at his sister and reached his hand out for her. Coco nodded and followed his example until she was close enough to grab his hand and he pulled her up with him.

 

**\-------**

 

Aku-Aku’s eyes slowly opened, waking up from his dormant state. He floated around the cliff, watching everything below tiredly. It felt weird, not be expecting a raid or large machines to arrive to cut down more of the forest.

 

This was exactly what he dreamed of for years. For the islands to finally be free and nobody would ever hurt by the evil scientist or his minions ever again.

 

Yet he didn’t feel happy. He couldn’t feel anything besides the all-consuming guilt and regret.

 

_“You’re just like **them**!”_

 

Aku-Aku flinched at the memory. He couldn’t stop thinking about that no matter what he did, no matter how hard he tried to block out the words, they always came back to torment him. The more he thought about Crash’s words and the implications behind them, the worse he felt about himself.

 

If he recalled the anger and betrayal in Crash’s glare he could feel it cut right through him and he knew he deserved that after all horrible decisions he had made. If he hadn’t been so distrustful and selfish then none of this would have happened and he would still have his only two friends by his side.   

 

He groaned as he recalled everything he admitted to them the other day and felt even more ashamed of himself. He couldn’t stop himself. He had been tired of keeping it all in, tired of pretending that everything was fine when it clearly wasn’t.

 

He probably made himself look worse in front of them and the two hate him more now.

 

But it’s okay if they hate him. It’s okay if they don’t forgive him for what he did because Aku-Aku didn’t want to be forgiven.

 

_I don’t deserve it._

 

He sighed and stared at the sea quietly. He didn’t know how long he stayed like that, but eventually he heard something. It sounded like….footsteps?

 

Aku-Aku frowned and turned around, wondering who it was only to freeze up immediately when he saw the two bandicoot panting in front of him.

 

“C-Children? What are you doing here!?” He stammered. “How did you find me?”

 

“We went to the villagers and asked them about you,” Coco answered. The trek up the mountain wasn’t easy on either of them.

 

“But…but why?” Aku-Aku asked helplessly, unable to understand why they would even seek him all the way out here.

 

Coco glanced at Crash who stepped towards him with an unreadable look in his eyes.

 

Aku-Aku shrunk under his gaze and screwed his eyes shut, not knowing what to expect.

 

“I’m sorry,”

 

Aku-Aku’s eyes snapped open and he stared at the bandicoot’s apologetic face in disbelief. “What!? What are you apologizing for?”

 

“For what I said,” Crash stated, looking down at his feet guiltily. “You’re not like Cortex.”

 

Aku-Aku was speechless. This was the last thing he had been expecting to hear from him. He quickly recovered and shook his head. “No, Crash. You were right about me. I’ve acted so selfishly. I’m even now being praised as a hero when I haven’t really done anything-”

 

“Stop it,” Crash said firmly, cutting him off.

 

“Aku-Aku, you shouldn’t say that. You did so much for everybody here. Wumpa Islands wouldn’t have survived for all these years against Cortex’s armies if it weren’t you. You took care of my brother when he first came here and helped him free the islands from Cortex’s control,” Coco stated. “Not to mention, you brought me to safety when the castle was collapsing, remember?” she said, placing her hands behind her back with a smile.

 

“You’re their hero too, Mr. Mask Guy,” Crash said, smiling at him as he pointed down at the village below. Aku-Aku’s eyes widened at being called that again by Crash and felt immediately overwhelmed by what they were saying.

 

“But…but I-” He gave a startled yelp when Crash suddenly grabbed him and pulled him closer to his chest. He felt Coco surround her arms around them as well.

 

The mask was at a loss for words. He wanted to protest, wanted to tell them they were wrong, but eventually he felt the denial and guilt slowly seep from him and stopped trying to pull away. “Thank you, children.” He murmured softly, voice laced with emotion.

 

The two smiled as they let him go. Coco glanced over at the setting sun and frowned. “Guys, it’s going to get dark soon.”

 

“Yes, you two should head home now.” Aku-Aku said and blinked when they exchanged knowing smiles.

 

“You’re coming too,” Crash replied and Coco nodded.

 

“What?” the mask muttered in surprise.

 

“That house isn’t just _our_ home. It’s yours too, Aku-Aku,” Coco replied.

 

Aku-Aku stared at them, caught off guard and not knowing how to respond. He looked down at the ground, uncertain. “Are…are you sure?”

 

The two bandicoots nodded frantically.

 

Aku-Aku finally sighed in defeat and he gave them both a tired smile. “Alright then, let’s head back.”

 

Crash frowned as they began walking away from the cliff. There were still so many questions he had, so many memories that he had yet to recover and so much about himself that he didn’t know. It might take him a while until he truly remembered everything.

 

But that’s okay. This time he wasn’t going to try to hide from the truth. He wasn’t afraid anymore. From now on, he is going to accept every memory he regains from his past; the good, the bad and anything in between.

 

As their house soon came into view, Crash found himself smiling.

 

_Whatever comes next, they’ll be alright._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And done! I can’t believe this fic is already over. I had a great time writing it and I’m glad that a lot people enjoyed it. 
> 
> As for what now, I actually decided to write another fic for this AU. It’s been a year since I began writing Something About You and I just love this series so much. I’m not ready to let this AU go just yet and I want to write more for it. 
> 
> Now I would like to thank everyone who left kudos and comments for my story. A special thanks also goes to PewCryBusOsh for supporting me through this.

**Author's Note:**

> Since it’s Crash Bandicoot’s 21st anniversary, I’m going to write more Crash Bandicoot fics for the next few days to celebrate. I’m really excited to start! :) 
> 
> Anyway, thanks for reading and let me know what you think of this so far.


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